February
4Hollywood’s Culture Wars
This is the time of year when filmmakers confront their own culture wars. New York’s highbrow critics are writing critiques proclaiming the mediocrity of this year’s Oscar nominees, as they do almost every year. Meanwhile, Hollywood is fretting that the Oscar slate isn’t sufficiently populist and that the Oscar show will again register pathetic ratings.
So there you have it: Movies are either too good or not good enough, depending, I suppose, on what coast you’re on.
Well, living on the West Coast, I become bored each year with those New York critics who are terminally unhappy because they have to review Danny Boyle instead of Shakespeare. Take David Denby of the New Yorker: This week he’s indignant because “Slumdog Millionaire” seems to be riding high. In his mind, Boyle’s movie is “a disorderly exploitation of disorder, a kind of visual salad of glowing rotten fruit, constantly tossed.”
I’m not sure what all that means, but I think I disagree. Denby also dismissed “Benjamin Button” as “a celebration of ignorance.” And, in commenting on “The Reader,” Denby makes the rare gesture of quoting from a fellow critic, A.O. Scott of the New York Times, who terms the film “shaky and sentimental at best.”
Now Denby and Scott are both cool guys and fine writers with strong intellects, but I worry whether they shouldn’t be rescued from the cinema beat. Movies are about entertainment: Millions of people have found “Slumdog” to be marvelously entertaining. Millions more enjoyed (gasp!) “Mamma Mia,” which sent the New York critics into paroxysms of disdain. This is showbiz, guys!
What worries philistines on the West Coast is that the five Oscar nominees, taken as a whole, don’t register high enough on the entertainment monitor.
Hollywood covets the Oscar not only for the professional recognition but also for the box-office bounce. It’s arguable whether there will be much bounce this year.
And, despite promises that the Oscar show will be livelier this year, network executives are fretful about a further ratings dive. They’re also irritated by the Academy’s secrecy about plans for the Oscar show. They pine for further recognition for popcorn pictures like “The Dark Knight” or “Iron Man.”
Or failing that, at least a major tribute to “WALL-E.” Even Denby loved that one.
So there you have it: Movies are either too good or not good enough, depending, I suppose, on what coast you’re on.
Well, living on the West Coast, I become bored each year with those New York critics who are terminally unhappy because they have to review Danny Boyle instead of Shakespeare. Take David Denby of the New Yorker: This week he’s indignant because “Slumdog Millionaire” seems to be riding high. In his mind, Boyle’s movie is “a disorderly exploitation of disorder, a kind of visual salad of glowing rotten fruit, constantly tossed.”
I’m not sure what all that means, but I think I disagree. Denby also dismissed “Benjamin Button” as “a celebration of ignorance.” And, in commenting on “The Reader,” Denby makes the rare gesture of quoting from a fellow critic, A.O. Scott of the New York Times, who terms the film “shaky and sentimental at best.”
Now Denby and Scott are both cool guys and fine writers with strong intellects, but I worry whether they shouldn’t be rescued from the cinema beat. Movies are about entertainment: Millions of people have found “Slumdog” to be marvelously entertaining. Millions more enjoyed (gasp!) “Mamma Mia,” which sent the New York critics into paroxysms of disdain. This is showbiz, guys!
What worries philistines on the West Coast is that the five Oscar nominees, taken as a whole, don’t register high enough on the entertainment monitor.
Hollywood covets the Oscar not only for the professional recognition but also for the box-office bounce. It’s arguable whether there will be much bounce this year.
And, despite promises that the Oscar show will be livelier this year, network executives are fretful about a further ratings dive. They’re also irritated by the Academy’s secrecy about plans for the Oscar show. They pine for further recognition for popcorn pictures like “The Dark Knight” or “Iron Man.”
Or failing that, at least a major tribute to “WALL-E.” Even Denby loved that one.
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In New York, tickets are $12 for a feature movie and $16 for an IMAX. The hot dog and drink another $10.
This is too much even in a good economy.
People are just hurting too bad for self-indulging, self-aggrandizing, nonsense.
Considering that Hollywood A-listers are about to let the producers devour the rank and file of their own union and them still raking in the bucks. The yearly salute to themselves is looking like a bunch of CEO's patting themselves on the back as they go to the trough for more bonuses.
Come to think of it, most of the paychecks the A listers are getting are the size of CEO bonuses. So who is capping their pay?
Posted by: 2broke2go | 2/6/2009 8:37:49 AM
don't you think they should just have a few more nominations..say.. maybe.. 7 films instead of 5.. it would at least give them some respect... years ago the nominations were even better.. look at the list of films from 1939 -1942
Posted by: mickey paraskevas | 2/5/2009 6:14:47 AM